Brake lever operated switch



R. A. KROPP 2,469,120

BRAKE LEVER OPERATED SWITCH May 3, 1949.

File May '7, 1945 y et? aQf//a @y A Patented May 3, 1949 BRAKE LEVER OPERATED SWITCH Roy A. Kropp, River Forest, Ill., assignor to Kropp Forge Company, Cicero, Ill., a corporation of Iliinois Application May 7, 1945, Serial No. 592,425

4 Claims.

to provide an improved warning signal means `for reventing a motorist from driving with his emergency brake on, by providing a warning light in front of the motorist to indicate that the 4brake is on, and also an audible signal.

Fig. l is a diagrammatic View of the emergency brake signal device with the wiring system.

Fig. 2 is a detailed section of the clevis.

Fig. 3 is another section of the clevis with the f spring applied, shown in open position.

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the switch in closed position.

Fig. 5 is :a detailed cross section of the clevis on the line SM5 of Fig. 3.

I have mounted on a chassis Ill, having an instrument board il, a pivoting emergency brake handle I2. The handle includes a paw] grip I2a pivotally attached to a pawl rod |217, which in turn is operatively connected to a pawl I3 by means of a looped end ISa on the rod I2b engaging a headed projection I3b on the pawl.

Adapted to cri-operate with the pawl I3 is a ratchet it, having the usual teeth Ma, which will be more clearly understood from what follows.

The handle 2 is adapted to reciprocate a clevis I5. rlthe clevis has the usual fork I6 to receive a bolt il connecting the clevis to the handle.

The clevis may have the usual barreled housing I8, having a closed end I9 with an aperture 20, the opposite end having a stop collar 2| fitting into a groove 22 in the barrel housing.

A sliding block 23 is adapted to reciprocate in the housing, and a pair of concealed springs 24 are interposed between the block and the end I9 of the barrel housing.

The springs may have lining pins 25 to hold them in place.

A brake rod 2E, threaded at its inner end, as at 2l, projects into an aperture 28 in the block.

A screw 29 is `adapted to project into a keyway 30 to keep the block from turning.

`The block has a cam way 3l, as clearly shown in Figs. 3, li and 5, and ladapted :to move in and out of this cam way is a button 32 through an aperture 33 in the housing I8. The button 32 is mounted in an aperture 34 in the boss 35 on .the housing I8.

Insulation .it may be provided for obvious purpose. Also provided is a retaining plate mounted on #the shank of the button 32 and a. spring 31 to tend to keep the button in a depressed condition. Thus, when the camway 3| is Aforwarded and lined up with the button 32, the button will tend to follow into the cam-way.

In this state the electrical circuit is broken. However, when the sliding block is pushed in the opposite direction, then the button 32 is pushed upwardly and moves upwardly to close the contacts 38 and 39 to close the circuit to the lamp '42 and intermittent buzzer or sound signal 42a by means of the switch 40,

In this way the operator of the car knows that the brake is on, and, since he will not want the 1 brake on when he is driving, he will release the brake.

The switch 4I is, or can be, provided to allow the brake to remain on without the light ybeing on when leaving the car.

The electric circuit of the signal goes through the ignition switch and will therefore only operate when the ignition switch is in on position. In the off position of the ignition switch the circuit will be dead.

While I have illustrated and described the prefered form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modication without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new yand desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination in an electrical circuit controlling device for an emergency brake signal, a clevis member adapted to be connected to a brake lever, said clevis member having an apertured closed end portion, an elongated member extending reciprocably through said apertured end portion and adapted to .be attached to the emergency brakes of a vehicle, a sliding block reciprocably movable within the clevis and secured to the end of said elongated member for movement therewith, a boss on one side of said clevis, said boss being hollow and having an aperture through the side of the clevis communicating therewith, a plunger reciprocably guided in said boss and ltip extending into said camway for maximum projection through said aperture through which it projects in one reciprocal position of the slidting block and arranged to be cammed out of the oamway by movement 0f the sliding block into :another reciprocal position, and a switch assemlbly carried by said boss and including normally :separable electrical switch contacts arranged to be moved into closed position upon movement of said plunger away from said sliding block by said camway as an incident to movement of the block with said elongated member into said other position.

2. A device as dened in claim 1 wherein the sliding block is cylindrical and liable to rotary movement, said camway leading onto the periphery of the sliding block so that in movement of the sliding block into said other position the tip of the plunger rides onto the periphery of the sliding block and is released from the camway, and means for retaining the sliding block against rotation relative to the clevis but permitting free reciprocal movement of the block.

3. In a device of the character described, a barrel housing, a cylindrical sliding block movable longitudinally in said housing and also liable to rotary movement therein, the sliding block having two longitudinal grooves therein one of which includes a cam end portion leading onto the periphery of the sliding block, a switch assembly carried by said barrel casing and having a plunger extending adapted to ride the cam end portion thereof onto the periphery of the sliding block in the relative longitudinal movement of the barrel casing and the sliding block, and a turn preventing element extending from the wall of the barrel casing into into said cam groove and 4 the remaining groove in the sliding block to prei vent relative rotation of the sliding block.

4. In a circuit controlling device for an einer# gency brake signal, a clevis member having laterally projecting hollow boss which is eiiter nally threaded and through the base of which an aperture opens into the interior of the clevis member, a sliding block in the clevis member adapted for relative reciprocal movement and arranged for connection with a brake assembly, the clevis member being arranged for attachment to a brake lever, the sliding block having a longitudinal camway in the periphery thereof, and an electrical switch assembly comprising a dielectrical cap screwed onto said boss and a plunger for operating the switch guided by the interior of the boss and having a tip extending through said aperture into said camway for actuation in the relative reciprocations of the sliding block and the clevis member for operating the switch.

ROY A. KROPP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file oi this patent:

UNTED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,444,742 Guenther Feb. 6, 1923 1,826,105 Veale Oct. 6, 1931 1,989,803 Hohen Feb. 5, 1935 2,060,377 Knodle Nov. 10, 1936 2,067,631 Rockwell Jan. 12, 1937 2,159,076 Douglas May 23, 1939 2,255,381 Ellery Sept. 9, 1941 2,305,603 Cadman Dec. 22, 1942 2,305,983 Muth Dec. 22, 1942 2,343,394 Blomberg et al. Mar. 7, 1944 

